Portable target holder



Dec. 10, 1968 G W D PORTABLE TARGET HOLDER Filed June 16, 1965 INVENTOR GENE W. HA N0 ATTORNEY 3,415,519 PORTABLE TARGET HOLDER Gene William Hand, Lykens, Pa. (701 Reed Ave., Norman, Okla. 73069) Filed June 16, 1965, Ser. No. 464,430 13 Claims. (Cl. 273-402) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable target holder for targets used in rifle and pistol target practice. The holder is supported by at least one freely pivoted leg attached to each side thereof. The supporting arrangement is particularly adapted to support the target vertically on uneven terrain.

It is customary for marksmen to practice their skills by shooting at disposable targets, usually of the bullseye type. Often, this is done at a rifle range which has a permanent installation including target holders and projectile-deflecting backstops. For various reasons, these ranges may be inaccessible and the marksman must practice on an informal basis. When this is done, the target is frequently set on irregular ground. In fact, as a safety precaution it is preferable to use uneven ground which will provide a bank which acts as a backstop to arrest the motion of the projectiles which have passed through the target.

The target holder of this invention is particularly adapted for use on irregular terrain, and is capable of remaining erect on such terrain.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple portable target supporting assembly which may be easily set up on uneven ground to hold a target at a proper angle for target practice.

Another object of this invention is to provide a target holder which permits quick and easy change of targets when in a set up condition.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a practice target holder which securely maintains an erect position.

The satisfaction of these and other objects will be seen from the following specification which describes a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the target holder in the position it will assume in use on level ground;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 along the line 22;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the slotted end of a side support member; and

FIG. 4 shows a side elevation of the target holder as erected near a bank which will serve as a projectile backstop.

In the drawings, a target 10, mounted on a rigid board, is shown in position on the portable target holder 11. The target holder assembly is made primarily of wood to prevent any ricocheting of bullets which strike it. It comprises a rigid upright assembly 17 lying in a given plane and formed by a pair of parallel side support members 12 and 13, which are held in spaced apart relationship by cross members or bars 14 and 19. The rigid upright assembly 17 is maintained in a vertical position by the support legs 15 and 16, pivotally attached to substantially a same point on opposite sides of the cross member 14. These legs 15 and 16, when in use, extend outwardly and downwardly from the upright assembly. When stored, the legs 15 and 16 fold to a position parallel to the assembly 17.

The construction of the upright assembly is such that there are aligned lower portions 22 and 23 of the side support members 12 and 13 fixed with respect to each i United States Patent other and resting upon the ground or other supporting surface. The cross member 19 may also rest on the ground.

The upper ends of support members 12 and 13 are used to hold a target. Slots or grooves 20 and 21 are located in their sides facing each other to provide guide tracks into which the target 10 may be inserted. The target is adapted to slide easily in these trackways which extend from the upper end of the support members longitudinally downward a sufiicient distance to hold the target in a desired position above the cross member 14.

It will be noted in FIG. 2 that the oppositely extending support legs 15 and 16 have a length designated a greater than the distance b between their respective attachment points 18 and 18' and a line between the lower ends of support members 12 and 13. This permits setting the holder up on sloping ground where each support leg extends outwardly at an appropriate angle to maintain a stable support. The distance b is approximately onehalf the overall height of the upright assembly 17. In addition, the support legs 15 and 16 are faced off at their lower ends 24 and 25 at a downwardly directed acute angle to form a sharp edge or point to pierce the ground. The rearwardly extending leg also braces against impact of any bullets that strike the assembly framework.

The use of this target holder on uneven terrain is shown in FIG. 4. As illustrated, the device has been located so that a mound or bank 26 lies behind the target.

The upright assembly 17 is shown in a perfectly erect position, and it is so maintained by the leg 15 which is resting on ground level With the aligned lower portions of the rigid upright assembly 17. The leg 16 extends rearwardly and contacts the inclined bank 26. A bullet, after passing through the target, will follow the broken line 27 and be stopped when it strikes the bank 26. This, of course, will prevent the high velocity projectile from continuing its flight, ricocheting, and possibly damaging property or injuring persons in its path. The safety features of this type arrangement have long been recognized.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that I have provided a simple, safe, easily collapsed target holder which may be set up on irregular terrain. Only a preferred embodiment has been shown, and various modifications thereto will occur to those of ordinary skill. It is understood that the scope of this invention is not limited only to this sole embodiment, but rather is delineated by the following claims.

I claim:

1. LA target assembly comprising, a target, means to hold said target, a rigid upright assembly connected to and supporting said means to hold a target, said rigid upright assembly having aligned lower portions for contacting a supporting surface, said lower portions being in a fixed relationship with respect to each other, a pair of support legs each having a free end and whidh are in dependently and freely pivotally attached to opposite sides of and extending in opposite directions forwardly and rearwardly from a plane defined by said upright assembly intermediate of and above said aligned lower portions, each of said support legs having a length greater than the shortest distance measured from its pivotal connection point on said upright assembly to a line passing through said lower portions whereby each said support leg and said aligned lower portions engage said supporting surface and hold said target assembly erect at various angles of inclination.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means to hold a target comprises, a pair of spaced apart support arms attached to said rigid upright assembly above a pivotal connection of a leg to the upright assembly, each of said support arms having a groove in a side facing the other said support arm, each said groove extending longitudinally from the upper end of its respective said support arm, whereby side edges of said target are slidably received in said grooves and sup ported between said support arms.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said movable support legs are pivotally attached at substantially a same elevation on opposite sides of said upright assembly.

4. A portable target holder, comprising, an upright assembly in a given plane and having aligned lower portions for contacting a supporting surface, means for holding a target on said upright assembly, a pair of support legs each having a free end and which are independently and freely pivotally attached to opposite sides of and extending in opposite directions forwardly and rearwardly from the plane defined by said upright assembly intermediate of and above said aligned lower portions, each of said support legs having a length greater than the shortest distance between its pivotal connection to said upright assembly and a line passing through said lower portions whereby each said support leg and said aligned lower portions engage said supporting surface and hold said target assembly erect at various angles of inclination.

5. A portable target holder comprising, means to hold a target, a rigid upright assembly connected to and supporting said means to hold a target, said rigid upright assembly having aligned lower portions for contacting a supporting surface, said lower portions being in a fixed relationship with respect to each other, a pair of support legs each having a free end and which are independently and freely pivotally attached to opposite sides of and extending in opposite directions forwardly and rearwardl from a plane defined by said upright assembly intermediate of and above said aligned lower portions, each of said support legs having a length greater than the shortest distance measured from its pivotal connection point on said upright assembly to a line passing through said lower portions whereby each said support leg and said aligned lower portions engage said supporting surface and hold said target assembly erect at various angles of inclination.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said means to hold a target comprises a pair of spaced apart support arms attached to said rigid upright assembly above a pivotal connection of a leg to the upright assembly, each of said support arms having a groove in a side facing the other said support arm, each said groove extending longitudinally from the upper end of its respective said support arm, whereby side edges of said target are slidably received in said grooves and supported between said support arms.

7. A target holding assembly for holding a target above a supporting surface comprising a pair of support members spaced apart and secured together by a joining cross member, said cross member connected to points intermediate the ends of each of said support members, a pair of movable support legs independently and freely pivotally attached by pivot means to opposite sides of and extending outwardly in opposite directions from said cross member and between said support members, the perpendicular distance between each of said pivot means and bottom portions of said support members being less than the length of either of said legs, whereby each said support leg and a lower end of each said support member engage a supporting surface to hold said target holding assembly erect at various angles of inclination, and means to hold a target between said support members.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said means to hold a target comprises, a longitudinally extending slot in a side of each said support member facing the other said support member extending from an upper end thereof, whereby side edges of a target are slidably received in said oppositely facing slots and supported between said support members.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein each said movable support leg has a pointed lower end adapted to pierce said supporting surface.

10. A target assembly according to claim 1 in which the pivotal connections between the support legs and the upright assembly are at a point below the target.

11. A target assembly comprising, a target, means to hold said target, a rigid upright assembly connected to and supporting said means to hold a target, said rigid upright assembly having aligned lower portions for contacting a supporting surface, said lower portions being in a fixed relationship with respect to each other, only a pair of support legs each having a free end and being independently and freely pivotally attached to opposite sides of and extending in opposite directions from a plane defined by said upright assembly, each of said support legs having a length greater than the shortest distance measured from its pivotal connection point on said upright assembly to a line passing through said lower portions whereby each said support leg and said aligned lower portions engage said supporting surface and hold said target assembly erect at various angles of inclination.

12. A target assembly according to claim 11 in which the means to hold said target extends above the rigid upright assembly.

13. A target assembly according to claim 12 in which the means to hold said target is fixed with respect to the rigid upright assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,373,778 4/1945 Quinby 40125 2,628,097 2/1953 Lecznar 273102 X 2,890,051 6/1959 Williams 273102 2,998,660 9/1961 Hickey 27354 X 3,087,186 4/1963 Budd 248-176 3,087,701 4/1963 Wallace 27264 FOREIGN PATENTS 226,308 3/ 1959 Australia. 461,588 10/1913 France.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

